The dreadfulness of the plague. Or A sermon preached in the parish-church of St. John the Evangelist, December 6th. being a day of public fasting. By Jos. Hunter M.A. and minister in York Hunter, Josiah, minister in York. 1666 Approx. 52 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 16 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A45206 Wing H3766 ESTC R219103 99830628 99830628 35081 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45206) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 35081) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 2092:5) The dreadfulness of the plague. Or A sermon preached in the parish-church of St. John the Evangelist, December 6th. being a day of public fasting. By Jos. Hunter M.A. and minister in York Hunter, Josiah, minister in York. [8], 24 p. printed by Stphen Bulkley, and are to be sold by Francis Mawbarne, York : 1666. With a preliminary imprimatur leaf dated Jan. 22. 1665. Reproduction of the original in the University College Library, Oxford. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Sermons, English -- 17th century. Plague -- England -- Sermons -- Early works to 1800. 2006-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2007-04 Ali Jakobson Sampled and proofread 2007-04 Ali Jakobson Text and markup reviewed and edited 2008-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion PErlegi Concionem ●anc , nec quid in eâ uspiam deprehendi , quod Pietati promovendae plurimum non inserviat ; proindeque dignam censui , quae Imprimatur . Edm. Diggle S. T. P. Reverendissimo in Christo Patri , ac Domino , Domino Richardo Archiepiscopo Eboracensi a sacris domesticis . Datum Episcopo-Thorpae Jan. 22. ●665 . THE DREADFULNESS OF THE PLAGVE . OR A SERMON Preached in the Parish-Church of St. John the Evangelist , December 6th . being a day of publick fasting . By Jos . Hunter M. A. and Minister in YORK . Et quamvis jam animadvertunt hominum genus in terra magis magisque indies ad tunc modum attenuatum , absumptumque , nullo tamen timore horrescunt ; quin neque cum illorum omnium omnine interitus crescat & latiu● quotidie ●an●t ●● fundatur , ulla ex par●e reformidant . Euseb . Hist . Eccles . lib. 7. ca. 16. YORK , Printed by Stephen B●lkley , and are to be sold by Francis Mawbarne , 1666. To the Right Honourable GEORGE MANKLINS Lord Mayor , And to the Worshipful the Aldermen , with the Common●lty of the faithful and famous City of York . I Have been encouraged to expose this Sermon to publick view , by the perswasion of some , that it might at this time conduce to publick good , which if I can promote ( though with the hazard of mine own credit ) I regard not . The great judgment wherewith God hath scourged our Nation this year , and the little sense which we express of it , would provoke a man ( otherwise not forward ) to adventure on the censure of the world , if he had but the least hope to do any good against the sottishness and stupidity of it ; which seems to exceed that of the Old World , even so much as the execution of Divine Wrath doth the meer menacing and threatning of it . We used formerly to startle at the report of the Plague , but now we are become so brutish , that we mock at fear and are not affrighted : My desire is ( whatever my hopes are ) to remove some from off the Lees of this most presumptuous and ill-presaging sencelesness . Now after I was perswaded to publish this Sermon , I concluded ( if it had any thing of worth in it ) it was due to your Lordship and Brethren in the first place , an● under you to the whole City , from and amongst whom I have a comfortable subsistence with so much respect and affection , as obligeth me more than I think meet here to express . You may read here what a dreadful punishment the Plague is , and consider , if it do not concern you to use your greatest diligence and circumspection to prevent a danger and to secure your City , which the Sword hath brought to poverty , and the Plague would quickly bring to beggary . When you read what a sore judgment the Plague is , and remember how God hath visited other places with it , this will be powerful to quicken you unto a thankeful acknowledgment of Gods gracious and miraculous preservation of this City , so much beyond ( not only our deserts ) but even our expectations . Having so frequent occasions to speak to you , I forbear to enlarge my self in an Epistle : Blessed be God , the Father of mercys and the God of all comfort , who hath delivered us from so great a death , and doth deliver : in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us : so rests Your Lordships , &c. most affectionate servant and well-wisher JOSIAH HUNTER . Numb . 16. 46. There is wrath gone out from the Lord , the Plague is begun . IN these Words I have formerly observed three Parts : 1. Irae Dei , the wrath of God. 2. Eruptio irae , the breaking forth of this wrath , wrath is gone out . 3. Indicium & effectus utriusque , the token and effect of both , the Plague is begun . Concerning the two first of these , the Wrath of God , and the breaking forth of that Wrath , I have already spoken upon two of these occasions . I come now to the third , The token and effect of both , The Plague is begun . If you observe the Scripture , you shall finde , that Plague is used for any notable judgement of God ; The bloudy Issue is called a Plague , Mark 5. 29. VVe reade of a Plague of Naile , Rev. 16. 21. the judgements which God sent upon Pharaoh for his stubbornnesse , are called Plagues , Exod. 9. 14. VVhen God doth punish a Person , or a People , ( especially if it be in a notable manner ) then 〈◊〉 ●e said to plague them , Gen. 12. 17. The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his House , Exod. 32. 35. The Lord plagued the People ; and so in other places : but Plague in the Text is taken for a certain malignant and infectious disease , distinguished by that name from other diseases : every judgment is a plague , but this in the Text is The Plague : as all sin may be said to be ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) Wickedness , but malice is especially in Scrip●ure called ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) because it is one of the greatest Wickednesses : so every disease , every punishment may be called a Plague , but there is a pestilent , burning , contagious distemper , unto which the name of Plague is appropriated , because it is one of the greatest punishments incident unto a People : the very first breaking out of it is terrible , it is wont to be so Pestilent and Des●ructiv● , for so Moses speaks as startled himself , and to stir up Aaron to make the more hast : Go quickly and make an Attonement for them , for there 〈◊〉 wrath gone out from the Lord , the Plague is begun . The Proposition I will give you from hence , is this ; That the Plague is a dreadful judgment , a sign of Gods great wrath . After I have p oved this , I will answer three Questions , subjoine a Cau●ion , and so come to Application . That the Plague is a featful judgment , and token of Gods wrath , is easie to demonstrate : when things are more than ordinarily dreadful , it renders the very name dreadful too : the dreadfulness of Damnation makes the very sound of the word terrible : and m●thinks the word Plague hath something of horrour in it , and is apt to bege● a startling and shrinking , in such especially as are naturally more inclined to fear : the Scripture never speaks of it , but always one Epithete or other is given to it , as the no●e of a dreadful judgment : when Moses sets himself to threaten Israel with curses for their disobedience , he places this in the front , Deut. 28. 21. The Lord shall make the Pestilence cleave unto thee , until he ●ath consumed thee from off the Land : here are two things attributed to the P●stilence which render it hugely dreadful , cleaving and consuming : in the Psal . 91. 3. it is called the noisome Pe●tilence , it is called one of Gods sore Judgments : Ezek. 14. 21. and ver . 19. it is made a token of Gods bloudy fury , if ● send a pestilence into the Land , and pour out my f●ry upon i● in Bloud . VVhen our Saviour speaks of those perplexed and calamitous time● , that should befall the Jews a little before the destruction of Jerusalem , and the world no● long before its desolution , he puts in this for one aggravation , Mat. 24. 7. there shall be Famines , and Pestilences , these are the beginnings of sorrows : the description which the Psalmist gives of the Plague , hath much of terrour in it , Psal . 78. 49 , 50. He cast upon them the fierceness of hi● anger , wrath , indignation and trouble , by sending evil Angels among●t them : he made a way to his anger , he spared not their Soul from death , but gave their life over to the Pe●●ilence . I read even of Hypoera●es , that he was wont to call the Plague ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) a special Divine judgment , a stroke of Gods own bare hand , as it were : these and such like instances joyned with the experience of all Ages , are enough to prove the Proposition : For the farther explication of it , I will answer these three Questions , 1. Why the Plague 〈◊〉 so dreadful ? 2. What is it that provokes God to inflict it upon ● people ? 3. If it be such a token of Gods wrath , whether it doth befall good men , I mean Believers , and those that are in the state of justification ? 1. Why the Plague 〈◊〉 so dreadful a t●ken of Gods wrath ? I answer , 1. Because it is so destructive , you shall seldome ( if at all ) read of the Pestilence in Scripture , but Consume is joyned with it : we may say of every man infected with it , as David said once to Jonathan concerning himself , there is but a step between death and him : in that Family or City where the Plagve is ve●ement and raging , we may say of them , as God threatned it should be with the Jews , Deut. 28. 66 , 67. Their lives hang in doubt before them , and they fear day and night , and have no assurance of their life : in the morning they say , would to God it was Even , and at even , would God it was morning ▪ for the fear of their hearts wherewith they fear , and for the sight of their eyes which they do see . What havocks hath this made in the earth ! we may m●re truly say of the Plague , than Samson of the jaw bone ( wherewith he killed so m●ny Philistims ) Heaps upon Heaps : Judg. 15. 16. after David had sl●in Goli●h , they sa●g in Dances ; Saul ●ath ●lain h●● thousands , but David his ten thousands : so it may be said here , other diseases have slain their thousands , but the Plague hath slain its ten thousands : it is so destructive , that it is called in the abstract , Destruction , Psal . 91. 6. Nor for the Pestilen●e that walkesh in darkness , nor for the Destruction that ●a●leth at noon day . What the Apostle affirms of wicked men , may be likewise said of this Pestilential disease , misery and destruction is in its way , Rom. 3. 16. All Histories both Sacred , Ecclesiastical and Prophane tell of the great Desolations that the Plague hath made : we read how it swept away 14000. one time , Numb . 16. 49. another time 24000. Num. 25. 8. another time 70000. 2 Sam. 24. 15. and yet these summs ( though questionless thought very great in those times ) fall far short of what hath been since . Those that have dyed in London of this present Plague ( I fear ) amount to more than the three fore ▪ mentioned summs put together . Eusebius speaking of a great plague in Alexandria , hath words to this effect out of Dionysius ▪ Now all things are full of lamentation , all men mo●rn , sadness and complaining fills the whole City , partly for those that are dead , and partly for those that are dying daeyly : for it is with us now ●s it was with the Egyptians , when God slew their first-born , there w●s a great ●ry among them , because not an house , where there w●s not one dead . So Evagri●s speaks of a plague that continued two and fifty years ; it spread ( he saith ) over the whole world , nor any mortal man then that did escape the Con●agion ; and some Cities ( he reports ) it invaded so vehemently , that it left not in Inhabitant i● them . The Prophet bemoaning the deplorable estate of Jerusalem ( amongst other ) hath these words , Lam. 1. 4. The wayes of Zion do mourn , because none come to the solemn Feasts , all her Gates are desolate : her Priests sigh , her Virgins are afflicted , and she is in bitterness : and it hath been known ( not only in other Countries ) but also in our own Nation , when there hath been such a morrality by the Plague , that the Churches , the Schools , the Markets , the Streets , the High-ways have all mourned , and some of them laid so desolate , that beasts might have grazed where men were wont to trade . 2. That which renders the Plague yet more dreadful , is the suddenness of that Destruction which it makes ; the dispatch of the destruction , as I may call it : the suddenness of an evil helps to add much to the terrour of it : this is not hard to prove from Scripture , I will give you but a touch , and then apply them , Prov. 6. 15. His calamity shall come suddenly , suddenly shall he be broken without remedy : Eccles . 9. 11. The Sons of men are snared in an evil ●●me , when it falleth suddenly upon them : Isa . 29. 18. this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall , swelling out in an high wall , whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant . This is that which God threatens to Babylon , Isa . 47. 11. Evil shall come upon thee , thou shalt not know from whence it riseth ; and mischief shall fall upon thee , thou shalt not be able to put it off , and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly , which thou shalt not know : well , this is of the nature of the plague to slay suddenly , it surprizeth men whilst they are eating and drinking , walking and trafficking , and sends them speedily from a state of health and soundness , to take their portion among them who have laid long silent in the dust . If you observe the Text with what follows , you shall find how quickly the Plague swept away 14000. it is very likely in less than an hour ; in the 2 Sam. 24. we read of 70000. that dyed of it in three days : where the plagus comes it doth not only make great , but sudden breaches : how quickly it makes a sad change , not only in a Family , and lesser societies , but even in Cities and greater Corporations , insomuch that sometimes places of the greatest concourse , have had cause to bewail themselves in the language of the Prophet , Lam. 1. 1. How doth the City sit solitarily that was full of people , how is she become as a widow ? to day ( it may be you have children rejoycing under the wing of their Parents , taking care for nothing , but even to drive away care ; and before to morrow ( perhaps ) vou shall hear them crying out lamentably ( as Elisha when the Prophet Elijah was taken from him ) My Father , my Father : to day ( perhaps ) Parents are rejoycing in their Children , delighting to behold them stand like Olive-plants round about their table , promising unto themselves ( I know not what ) felicity in their well-doing ; and before to morrow ( it may be ) you shall have them ( like Rachel ) weeping for their children , and resusing to be comforted , because they are not . I read of Xerxes , that ( having gathered an huge Army ) he went upon the top of an hill to view them , and while he was doing this , he fell a weeping , to think that within an Age not one of those men would be left alive : did he weep to think that an 〈◊〉 men ( perhaps not so many ) would be all 〈…〉 Age , what cause of mourning have we 〈…〉 we consider that the Plague , hath even i● our 〈◊〉 Country , taken away so huge a number , in less than the Revolution of one year ? so quick is the dispatch that it makes . 3. That which makes the plague yet more dreadful , is , because it is so spreading , it is called the pestilence that walketh in darkness , Psal . 91. 6. first , it is said to walk , it stands not still , but makes progress , spreads it self ▪ And then secondly , it is said to walk in darkness , it diffuseth it self invisibly , it spreads one knows not how . It hath been questioned by some whether the Plague be infectious ; yea , by some it bath been strongly denyed : The main arguments which they produce , are these three ; First , that God hath appointed unto every man , not only to dye , but also at what time , and of what kind of death , and therefore there is no great heed to be given to the contagiousness of any disease . Their second argument is this , if the Plague be Contagious , how comes it that some men take infection , and others escape it , being both in the same place , and so to outward appearance in the same danger . They urge in the third place , that the Plague comes by the immission of evil Angels , and therefore how can it be infectious ? these are the chief Arguments that ever I met with against the Plagues infection , and yet they are so inconsiderabie , that I think it but wast time to answor them . One calls the opinion ( that the Plague is not infectious ) worse than the Plague it self : another calls it a bloudy error , and none maintain it but such as cannot abide to be Gods Prisoners ; it is a death ●o them to be out of company , and they had rather endanger a thousand lives , than want any part of their pleasure or profit . But experience is enough to contradict this opinion ; unto which we may add that concerning the Leper , who was to be shut up and none to accompany with him , which shews that there was some Contagion in the Leprosie : and yet the Leprosie is nothing so deadly as the Plague , for some have lived having the Leprosie many years , but such an instance cannot be given of the Plague . Evagrius ( speaking of the great Plague at Antioch , and the manner of its spreading ) s●ith ▪ that some got it by living and conversing together : others got it by only touching them that were infected , or entring into the house : some received it in the Streets , and many that fled out of Cities which were infected ( though they remained sound themselves ) yet they imparted the disease to those , that before were free & helthful . But I leave the proving of the Plagues infection to the Physitian ; he will tell you that living birds laid to the feet of one infected will quickly dye ; he will tell you , how it may be diffused by Garments , by bre●thing , and many such like : this cannot be denied , but that it is spreading , and so spreading , that where it once breaks forth , a man cannot be too careful , because he can never be too secure , if secure enough . For to say that the Plague b●falls none but such as want faith to rely upon and trust in the Providence of God ▪ is a● error more bloudy than to say , that it is not infe●●ious . 4. And lastly , that which renders the Plague yet more dreadful is the uncomfortableness of it : is it not a sad thing , when a mans house becomes his prison ? next to our lives we value our liberty , and yet this the Plague deprives a man of : I might be large here , but I will confine my self within these three heads : First , the liberty of Gods house , how precious is that ! How amiable are thy Tabernaeles , O Lord ( saith David ) he envied even the birds that might fi● and sing neer the Sanctuary , when he was banished from it : and in Psal . 42. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks , so panteth my Soul after thee , O God : my Soul thirste●h for God , for the living God , when shall I come and appear before God ? and he professeth ver . 4. how he poured out his Soul in him , when he remembred , how he had gone with the multitude to the house of God , with the voice of joy and praise ; but this liberty is a man debared from by the plague ; though the doors of the Sanctuary are open , yet his own doors are shut up : he cannot be admitted to hear the voice of those that bring glad tydings of peace : he cannot be admitted any longer to come and participate of those comfortable representations of Christ's Body and Blood : he cannot be allowed any longer to come and joyn with the Congregation in lifting up a Prayer to Heaven . I read that the Protestants in France had a Church ( though now demolished ) which they called Paradise ; it is very likely , they thought the Church the only Paradise on earth : in this Paradise I would compare the preaching of the Word , to the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil ; and the Sacrament of the Lords S●pper to the Tree of Life ; but where the Plague is , a man is excluded from this Paradise , he hath not the liberty to tast of the fruit of it , this is one great discomfort . 2. The liberty of Friends , that is comfortable ▪ next to communion with God , communion with friends is deemed the greatest happiness on earth . Pythag●ra● hath a dark Riddle ( cor ●e edit● ) eat not thy heart : my Lord Bacon sets this gloss upon it , he that lacks friends to converse with , and lay open his grief to , must needs be a Cannibal and eat his own hea●t : well , this liberty likewise doth the Plague deprive a man of ; it was Davids Complaint , Psal . 38. 11. My Lovers and my Friends stand aloof from my sore , and my Kinsmen stand afar off : Thus it is with a man whom God hath visited , his Lovers and Friends stand afar of , they dare not come neer him in point of security to themselves , they dare not in point of conscience , lest they might disperse the Contagion among others ; those are sad expressions in Psal . 88. 18. Lover and Friend hast thou put far from me : and in Psal . 102. 6 , 7. I am like a pelicon in the Wilderness , I am like an Owle of the Desart , I watch and am as a Sparrow alone : yet these are the true complaints of such as are shut up under the Plague . 3. The liberty of Commerce is very necessary : hereby it is that men get a subsistence and livelihood for their Families , without this they cannot provide things honest in the sight of all men : but this Liberty likewise the Plague debars a man from , none dare Traffick with him , and this helps to add yet more to his discomfort : for the Merchant will tell you , that upon the ceasing of Trade , there is not only ( l●●rum cesfans ) gain ceasing , but there is likewise ( damn●● emergens ) loss arising , because now a man is forced to take from his stock for necessary uses , so that grant a man do escape with his life that is visited with the Plague ; I say , suppose he hath his life for a prey , what can he do without a livelihood ? and towards the procuring of this he is much disabled by the Plague . So much in answer to the first Question , Why the Plague 〈◊〉 so dreadful a judgment ? 1. Because it is so destructive . 2. Because the destruction , which it make● , is so quick and sudden . 3. Because it is so spreading . And lastly , because it is so uncomfortable , for hereby a man i● deprived of the liberty of Gods house , the liberty of Friends , the liberty of Commerce . The second question is , what is it that provokes God to inflict this dreadful judgment of the Plague upon a people ? This is somewhat harder to determine ; what I purpose to say concerning it , take in these three Conclusions , 1. For certain , God hath just cause given him , before he do thus manifest his displeasure , many of his wayes are unsearchable , but none are unrighteous ; he can as soon cease to be , as to be just : if therefore at any time we cannot discerne what should be the cause , let us charge our selves with ignorance , but take heed of charging God with injustice : after God had threatned the Jews with the Sword , the Famine , the noisomebeast , and the Pestilence in Ezek. 14. he adds ver . 23. Ye shal know , that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it saith the Lord : and he expresseth himself yet more offended with them for standing upon their justification , Jer. 2. 35. Thou sayest , because I am innocent , surely his anger shall turne from me ; behold , I will plead with thee ▪ because thou sayest , I have not sinned . 2. This we may likewise safely affirm in the general , that sin is the meritorious cause ( as of all other judgments ) so likewise this of the Plague : The wrath of God i● revealed from Heaven ( saith the Apostle ) against what ? all ●nrighteousness and ungodliness of man , Rom , 1. 18. and it is the observation of a good man , that as vapours ascend invisibly , but come down again in storms and showers , which we both see and feel ; so sometimes secret sins are the procuring cause of open and notorio●● punishments : this of the Plague is threatned unto Disobedience , Deut. 18. 3. What sins in particular may be the provoking cause of the Plague now , or any other time , is not so easy to conclude . I think the safest way is one of these three , 1. Either to attribute judgments that are general , unto sins that are most general : and what sin hath been of late years and is still most reigning in this Nation , would require one better acquainted with the manners of it than I am : whether Atheisme , or Dissention , or a mutinous inclination against all Authority , or violation of Oaths , or what else I will not say , but whether these or others are the National sins at present , they are hugely aggravated , because God hath not honoured any Nation with more mercy and means of Grace than ours ; and therefore we could expect no other , than that he should deal with us , as he threatned he would do with his peculiar People , Amos 2. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the earth , therefore I will punish you for your iniquities . Or , 2. If we know of any notorious National sin ( though committed several years since ) not yet so universally acknowledged and repented of , we may think that is a great provocation ●nto God to scourge us with the Plagu● : for this we have that famous instance of Saul's breaking Covenant with , and s●aying the Gibeonites , for which God punished the Land in the time of King David ) with three years Fami●e , and would not be appeased , till several of Saul's Sons were pu● to death , 2. Sam. 23. 3. This is likewise a safe course , to observe out of the Records of Sacred Writ , for what sins God hath heretofore sent the Plague ; and look how far we are guilty of them , so far may we attribute our visitati●n to them : now in searching the Scripture , I find that for six , yea for seven transgressions God hath either threatned or sent the Plague . I will but name them , and leave them to your consideration . 1. Despising of plenty , and immoderate lusting after dainties , so we read how the Israelites despised Manna ( whereof they had abundance ) and called it light bread , but they lusted exceedingly after Quails , for which God smote them with a very great Plague , Numb . 11. 33 , 34. 2. We read how they that brought up an evil report upon the Land of promise , to the discouragement of the people , and the dishono●r of God , dyed of the Plague , Numb . 14. 37. 3. Seditious insurrections against Authority , have drawn down the Plague : this was the cause of that Plague in the Text. 4. Creature ▪ confidence , boasting of or trusting in an Arm of flesh ; this is generally thought to be the cause of that Plague in the 2 Sam. 24. 5. Idolatry , for this God wa● so incensed , that he ●lew of the people at once 24000. with the Plague , Numb , 25. 6. Detaining and withholding from God his due , unto this he threatens the Plague Exod. 30. 12. When thou takest the summ of the Children of Israel , they shall give every man a Ransome for his Soul unto the Lord , that there be no plague among them . Lastly , to all these , I may add the contempt and abuse of the Lords Supper : for when Saint Paul faith , that many of the Corinthians were ●●ck and weak , and many dy●d , 1 Cor. 11. 30. it is not improbable , that God sent amongst them some pestilential and contagious disease . I have done with the second question , What it is that provokes God to inflict this dreadful punishment of the Plague upon a people ? I hasten to the third . The plague being such a token of Gods wrath , whether doth it befall good men , believers , such as are in the state of justification ? for our satisfaction in this , we may have recourse to that of Solomon , Eccles . 9. 1. 2. No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that 〈◊〉 before them , all things come alike to all , there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked , to the clean , and to the unclean , to him that sacrificeth , and to him that sacrificeth not , as is the good so is the sinner , and be that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath . Ahab and Josiah's death concurred in the very circumstances : and Saul and Jonathan ( though different in their deportments ) yet in their deaths they were not divided . Here we shall do well to consider three things , 1. That good men are subject to , and guilty of many sins and enormities , and their sins admit of those aggravations which the sins of other men do not ; and therefore why should we think that they should be priviledged from those temporal punishments , which God is went to inflict for such sins . 2. Consider , that good men , even by their sins do help to draw down a judgment and common calamity upon a Nation ; indeed God takes most notice of their sins : concerning the common sort of prophans persons he saith , These are foolish , they have not known the way of the Lord , nor the judgment of their God ; but when his own People in Covenant with him , when these shall break the bands , then he bursts out , How shall I pardon thee for this ▪ now if good men by their sins be instrumental in drawing down a Pest upon a Nation , why should they expect any other but to be involved in it ? 3. Consider this , as you cannot tell me any sin ( be it never so gross ) into which a Believer may not fall , except it be the sin against the Holy-Ghost ▪ so you cannot assigne any judgment ( be it never so great ) whereunto a Believer is not obnoxious , unless it be Everlasting damnation . There is no condemnation indeed to those that are in Christ Jesus , but for temporal calamities they are so incident to good men , that the Scripture seems to make them their Portion , and it may be truly said of Gods Servants ( as Augustus said once , when he sat between Virgil and Horace , whereof the one was bleer-eyed , and the other much given to sighing ) they sit ( inter suspiria & lachrymas ) between sighing and weeping : I am plagued all the day long and chastened every morning , saith David , Psal . 73. 14. That is a pretty saying of Clemens Alexandrinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is neer to God is always under the ●●sb . It is a ▪ Pestilent Doctrine therefore to a●●irm , that none who believe in God , and love him sincerely , can dye of the Plague : it is very t●u● , the dying of the pl gu● shall be no more prejudicial to them , in respect of their salvation , than the dying of any other d●●th ; All things ( and therefore the Plague ) work together for good to them that love God : but the sentence of j●s●ification , Gods acceptation of them into favour , gives not Believers an immunity from any disease , but their persons are still subj●ct unto those diseases which the nature is : and it is very soundly observed by one Mr. ●●mford ( who writ a little T●e●●ise the la●● great Plague , but this , at London ) that God by suffering good men to dye of the Plague , glorifies both his justice and his wisd●me ; his justice among the wicked , in giving them cause to say , If God spare not the green tree , what shall be done to the dry ? his wisdome among the godly , lest they should say , for our own Righteousness ●e are delivered . Thus I have answered the three Questions , Why the Plague is so dreadful a judgment ? what it is that provokes God to send it ? Whether it be incident to good me● ? I have now only a Cau●ion to subjoyn , and then I shall come to Application . The Cauti●● is this , though the plague be a dreadful judgment , yet the Scripture speaks of another plague , which is far wor●e : and yet whilest we do what we can to ●lie the le●●er plague , we do what we can to pursue the greater : but what Plague i that ? Solomon will tell you , 1 King. 8. 38. The plague of the heart : sin in general is the pl●gue of the heart ; every mans own iniquity , his peccatum in delici●● , his darling lust , that is , the particular plague of h●● own heart : now this plague of the heart is worse than the other plague in several respects . I will name them , t●ough I cannot insist on them . 1. As in good things the cause is be●t●r , so in evil things the cause is worse than the effect ; bu the plague of the heart is the cause of the other plague : sin brought in misery at first , and m●sery hath ever since pursued sin . 2. We are more sensible of the pl●gue of the body , than that of the heart , and therefore the plague of the heart is more d●ngerou● : the first st●p to ●ealth is to have a feeling of our disease , therefore there is less hope of c●re , where there is less feeling of the Distemper . 3. Nature doth not only feel the Plague of the body , but is may by Gods blessing upon means , be of force to work out the malignity of it , that it shall not prove mortal ▪ for else none that have the plague should escape death , b●● by a miracle : but corrupt nature ( as it is not sensible of the Plague of the heart ) so neither hath it power to work it cut : if the great Physitian of Souls cure i● not , it is not all t●e strength of Nature , the art of man ▪ the power of Medicines that can avail any thing , but the soul is inf●cted and will be destroyed . 4. Though the plague of the body be infectious , yet the plague of the heart add● ven●●e and malignity to it : The spirit of a man will hear his infirmity , but a wounded spirit who can hear ? sin em●itters and poysons any affliction : the sting of every p●nal evil is sin , this is the plague of the plague : an affliction consists not in the bulk of it , but the burthen ; what is a Serpent without a sting , or a great bulk if it hath no weight ? where the plague of the heart is cured , the other plague is more easily born● : though the cross continue , yet the curs● is taken away . 5. The plague of the heart is worse than the other plague , because it sei●eth upon , and infects the better part of man , his Soul ; that which is more worth than a world , and could be Redeemed by no less than the precious blood of Christ : look how much better the Soul is than the Body , by so much worse is the plague of the heart , than that of the body . Lastly , as Christ said concerning men , so may I say concerning the plague , the utmos● it can do , is but to kill the body , and that for a time ; but the Plague of the hears will destroy both body and Soul everlastingly : that death which consists only in a separation of the Soul from the Body , is nothing so terrible as that which consists in an everlasting separation of the Soul from God. But some men will never be convinced what a plague the Plague of the heart is , till they come to feel the plagues of the damned , then they shall wish for death , but it shall flee from them . I come now to Application . 1. If the plague be such a token of Gods wrath , what cause have we of this Nation to think that God i● wroth and displeased with us , since he hath visited us with such a Plague , as cannot be parallelled since the Sweating sickness , and that in such a juncture of time , when it could not have been more prejudicial to the affairs of the Nation : it is hard to say , whether we have more cause to tremble at Gods judgment in this plague , or to admire at his goodness in the abat●ment of it , when it once threatned the whole Nation , as though the Lord had purposed to make a full end , that affliction should not rise up the second time . Now mark what the Prophet saith , The Lion hath roared , who will not fear ▪ Amos 3. 8. when Gods hand is lifted up , he expects that we should see it , and express a sense of it : the People of Nineveh believed God , and proclaimed a Fast , and put on sackcloath , Jon. 3. 5. and did we verily believe , that God is wroth with us , we should busy and bestir our selves towards the appe●sing of it : This day would be observed with more solemnity , our Prayers sent up to Heaven with more devotion , the Word listen'd unto with more attention , Alm● given with more freeness and abundance . All tokens and testimonies of Humiliation are little enough , when God shews such tokens of his wrath as the plague is : this is not a time to addict our selves to pride , or d●lliance , or luxury . The Romans punished one severely , that in a time of common calamity was seen looking out at a window with a Crown of Roses on his head . God delights to see a People shew themselves affected with his displeasure : m●rk what he said once to the Isr●elites after they had made the Golden Calf , Exod. ●3 . 5. I will come into the ●●ast of thee in a moment and consume thee ( it is not an absolu●e determination but a conditional co●●ina●ion ) therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee , that I may know what to do u●to the● : that is , humble thy self , give some testimony of the awe ●hat thou stande●● in of my Wrath , of thy sorrow for the sin that hath incensed it , tha● though I be highly provoked , yet I may be ●●ved to have pity on , and shew some favour to the● . 2. If the Plague be so dreadful a judgment , what cause have we of this City to bless God for our preservation from it ? especially considering how many dangers we have been exposed to , some through the necessity of State , others through our own improvidence , and some through the corrupt and covert dealings of Passengers and Traders : to be preserved from danger is a mercy at any time , but especially then , when we see others overtaken , and our selves encompossed with it : What may we attribute this our preservation to ? shall we impute it to our own diligence and care ? no certainly , for if our watchfulness had been ten times more , yet we read in Psal . 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City , the Watchm●n ●aketh but in vain : shall we ascribe it to any merit or desert of ours ? nay , that would be far worse , as Job saith , Job 9. 20. Our own mouths would condemne us and prove us perverse . I would it might not be said of us , as it was once of Ahaz , that in this time of distress we have trespassed yet more and more : sure it is , vice and profaneness are grown to that height of impudence , as hath not been known in former years : those vices , which heretofore were scarce once named amongst us , are become common : what said God once concerning Judah , Jer. ● . 8. When she saw that God had given back sliding Israel a ●ill of Divorce , and put her away for her adul●eries , yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not , but went and played the Harlot also : it is easie to apply it here , though we saw what God had do●● to London , ●et we have not feared , but gone on to corrupt our sel●es and do so wickedly , as if we intended to justific them , or as if we thought , that the sins of the Nation could not be soon enough filled up , unless we added more measure to them . Our preservation therefore can be attributed ●o nothing , but the merciful and gratio● protection of Almighty God ; And therefore let us magnify the Lord , and let us exalt his name together : let us bless him at all times , and let ●i● praise be continually in our months : for he i● 〈◊〉 that hath held our souls in life , and not suffered our feet to be moved : he hath hitherto delivered us from all our fears , and put a new song into our month , eve● praise unto our God. Only let us fear the Lord and serve him in truth and with all our hearts , for consider how great things he hath done for us , but if we shall still do wickedly , sin lies at the door , and judgment will find us out . 3. And lastly , if the Plague be so dreadful a judgment , then it calls upon us loudly to pity those , whom God hath been pleased to exercise with so heavy a visitation : think that you hear the great City of the Land thus bewailing her misery , and begging your commiseration , as the City Jerusalem once ; I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath , surely against me is 〈◊〉 turned , he turneth his hand against me all the day , be hath bent his ●●w and set me as a mark for the arrow : I envy not your immunity , only desire you to commiserate my Calamity : Have pity upon me , have pity upon me , O ye my friends , for the hand of God hath touched me , Job 19. 21. We have no hasty and fearful fleeing out of our City , whole families made desolate , miserere d●u● upon our doors , we hear not that doleful voice , bring out your dead . Eusebins faith , that in the Plague at Alexandria the Christians were as careful of one another , visited those that were infected , provided for them , converted with them , buryed them as at other times ; but the Heathen regarded not their Neighbours and friends , but fled from them , suffered them to starve , and afterwards to lye unburied . I acknowledge there is much difference between the spirits of Christians now , from what was in those Ages , for then they were willing upon all occasions to hazard , yea to lay down their lives for the Brethren . I blame not the Christians at Alexandria for what they did , because I know not what Heroick principle they might have to induce them to it : perhaps they did it for to set a pattern and example to the Heathen , among whom they lived ; to let them see , that they were not afraid of death , and that their love to each other was so great , that nothing could separate them . But it is not safe to tempt God and run our selves upon hazards , where we have no warrant ▪ we cannot , we may not in a time of infection converse so freely with , and do those offices to the infected , as we would at another time : yet it behoves us however to do all we can safely : there is no danger sure in pitying them , in praying for them , in contributing toward their necessities : these we may safely do , we cannot salvâ conscientiâ omit them . And now that I have mentioned Contribution , I cannot , but I must tell you , that there is no reality in our commiseration without it . St. James declares against such , as say to one that is in wan● , Be ye filled , and be ye warmed , but give them not those things that are needful for the body ▪ J●●● 2. 16. St ▪ John is yet sharper , 1 John 3. 17. whoso hath this worlds goods , and seeth his Brother have need , and ●h●tt●th up his bowels of compassion from him , how dwelleth the love of God in him ? Giving of Alms is one of the man ingredients into an acceptable Fast . The Fast that God hath chosen is ●o deal our bread to the hungry , ●loath the naked , and not to hide our selves from our own flesh , Isa . 58. ● , 7. we cannot ●ell , whether it may please God to visit us ; but if he should , happy that man then who hath not been defective in his duty to the infected , whose bowels have melted and turned within him for their Calamity , whose Prayers have been dayly poured ou● for their redre●● , whose hands have been stretched out wide , and without grudging for their Relief , and lastly whose conversation hath been ordered aright , that they and the whole Land might see the salvation of God. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A45206-e230 ●ob . 39. 22. 2 Cor. 1. 3. 10 Notes for div A45206-e360 D●●emb 6th 1665. 1 ●am . 2● ▪ 3. 1 Sam. 18. 8 ▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. lib. 7 , ca. 17. Exo● . 12. 30. Neque quisque mortalium , q●● ejus ●ffugerit contagion●m , &c. lib. 3. ca ▪ 28 2 King. 2. 12. Psal . 128. 3. Jer. 31. 15. Psal . 84. ● . ●l●●d . R●m . 82. 17. 1. Kings ▪ 22. 2. Chro ▪ 35. 2. Sam. 1 ▪ 23. Jer. 5. 4. Rom. ● . ▪ 1 Math. 16. 24. Acts 14. 21. Rom. 8. 28. Luk. 23. 31 ▪ Dan. 9. 4. Rss ▪ Prov. 18. 14. Mat. 16. 2● ▪ 1 Pet. 1 ▪ 1● . Luk. 12. 4 ▪ Rev. 9. 6. Nahu . 1. 9. Is . 26 ▪ 9 ▪ 10 , 11 2 Chr. 28. 2● ▪ Eph. 5. 3. Psal . ●4 . ● , 2 ▪ 3 , 4. Psal . 66. 9. Psal . 40. 3. 1 ●a● . 12. ●4 . Ge● . 4. 7. Num. 32. 23. Lament . 3. ● Joh. 3. 16. Mat. 4. 7. P●●l . 50. 23.